Berlin students point to crumbling university buildings as France-style protests loom

Students at the Technical University of Berlin say decaying buildings, closed lecture halls and years of underinvestment have left parts of the campus barely functional, as organisers prepare for a nationwide day of protest on October 31 inspired partly by unrest in France.

Aaron Schilling, a master's student in electrical engineering, and Friedrich Lauenstein, who advises prospective students and first-year undergraduates while finishing his own master's thesis, both say they value studying at TU Berlin for its academic freedom and campus culture. But they also point to a long list of problems: too many shuttered buildings, deteriorating facilities and insufficient money for repairs and investment.

"France is a big role model," Lauenstein said, referring to protests that have drawn hundreds of thousands of young people onto the streets there over the poor condition of schools and universities. He said students at TU Berlin have begun networking with groups elsewhere in Germany, and that political events on campus have been drawing larger crowds in recent weeks. He added that the issue of mandatory military service, or Wehrdienst, has become a particular concern among young people.

An initiative called "Gen Z steht auf" has called for demonstrations in numerous German cities on October 31, including an event planned in front of the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin. According to the group, the protests will focus on education policy, the affordability of everyday life and opposition to the reintroduction of compulsory military service.

Co-organiser Akram Selo told the dpa news agency that the demonstrations are intended to be peaceful. "We clearly distance ourselves from any kind of violence," he said, describing the planned action as a peaceful protest rather than a confrontation.

The Berlin branch of the German police union, GdP, described the planned action as a large-scale demonstration situation, saying security authorities are preparing accordingly.

Separately, a nationwide networking meeting was scheduled for Wednesday afternoon, organised by the Berlin Socialist-Democratic Student Association under the title "Things are heating up in France! What can we do now?" The gathering is intended to bring together student groups from across the country to discuss coordinated action.

At TU Berlin, the practical problems facing students have been visible since the start of the winter semester. Schilling said the semester began only after considerable difficulty. "We had a rough start to the semester, but we managed," he said.

The university's main building, which houses several large lecture halls, remained closed as the new term began. The Bergbau- und Hüttenwesen building, known as BH-N, near Ernst-Reuter-Platz, was also largely closed.

According to an email sent by the university's presidium to TU members, several buildings, including the mathematics building, have experienced problems with their emergency power supply systems. Four buildings had to be closed for several days at the end of September because of these issues, the email said.

University officials have not announced a timeline for reopening the affected buildings or completing the necessary repairs. Students interviewed said the disruptions have made it harder to hold classes and have added to frustration over what they describe as years of deferred maintenance across the campus.

The protests planned for October 31 are expected to draw participants beyond university campuses, with organisers framing the demonstrations around broader concerns about the cost of living and education funding across Germany. Security officials in Berlin have indicated they are preparing for a demonstration that could draw a significant turnout, though exact numbers are not yet known.